Legacy worn proud: Filipina honors hero grandma at Harvard graduation

Harvard University is no stranger to applause. 

Every spring, thousands gather at Harvard Yard in the university's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts to witness graduation day—a celebration of scholastic achievement and the promise of potential for members of the graduating class.

Last May, Harvard's onstage procession of black togas and caps had a special pause as one graduate embraced the moment to give honor not just to her Filipino identity, but her grandmother's courage and sacrifice during World War II.

Ylaysha Musngi Gosiaco, who graduated cum laude with magna cum laude distinction in psychology, approached the stage thinking of things other than her diploma.

In her hands were three framed pictures—not of herself, but of her grandmother, 1st Lieutenant Dr. Mercedes Cuello Lazaro Musngi, a World War II Filipina guerrilla combat medic and battlefield amputator. One of the frames featured a collage of "unsung heroes," army and navy personnel, Christian ministers, and members of local and Filipino community groups.

When her name was called, Ylaysha took a few steps and stopped. She held up the portrait in her hand. She wept. Then, in front of the deans, faculty, and thousands of spectators, she raised her hand, bowed, and saluted her grandmother.

The gesture was quiet, but in that silence, her message of pride, gratitude, and love was loud and clear.

It was a moment to honor Ylaysha's lola, affectionately called Mommy Ched, whom her family cherishes as a war-time Filipino hero. The patriotism of others like Mommy Ched—soldiers, veterans, and her former comrades—were honored, too.

"I walked that stage with tears in my eyes and a deep awareness that I was not walking alone," she later wrote on her public Facebook page. 

"Behind me stood generations of love, sacrifice, and prayers—of unsung family and military heroes, seen and unseen," she said.

Ylaysha wore a graduation sash inspired by the Philippine flag over her toga. It was a subtle but deliberate declaration of identity at a renowned institution that is proud of its multicultural environment.

Over 9,000 students graduated from Harvard this year.

Remembering lola

In honoring her grandmother, Ylaysha also chose to highlight the stories of women in the resistance during World War II.

According to Ylaysha, Mommy Ched treated wounded soldiers under extreme conditions. 

Some Filipinas who served as guerrillas, medics, or messengers during the war were never officially recognized. 

Several accounts of their courage have been passed on, not through history books, but with stories at the family dining table. 

Eighty years after the end of Japanese occupation in the Philippines, Ylaysha made sure that Mommy Ched's sacrifice would not be forgotten.

On Philippine Independence Day, June 12, she posted a photograph of herself waving the Philippine flag in the Harvard campus. 

"For Mommy Ched. For our people," her caption read. "I owe my life to GOD, to my family, and to them — who fought for our freedom and independence. Who supported me and revolutionize what being a hero truly means."

Beyond Harvard

Ahead of her graduation in Harvard, Ylaysha was involved in mental health advocacy. 

She founded The Mind Warriors Project: Kalasag, a nonprofit initiative that promotes trauma-informed mental health education, historical awareness, and intergenerational healing. 

Her focus on clinical psychology is not academics alone—it is personal, rooted in a desire to help communities process pain and trauma inherited across generations.

She has led workshops, collaborated with resource persons, and worked with both faith-based and grassroots organizations. Her work blends historical awareness with mental health strategies and research, recognizing that healing often begins with remembering.

In her words, her Harvard degree is not just a credential. 

"It's a testament to what happens when history, faith, and community come together," she wrote.

In a commencement season often bookmarked with celebratory social media posts, much of Ylaysha's messages online were about gratitude.

She made no mention of internships, job offers, or academic honors. Instead, she wrote about the people who carried her through—her parents, pastors, friends, ancestors, soldiers and veterans, and the unsung heroes whose sacrifices she believes made her path possible.

Her graduation cap bore the message: "The Lord is the Director of My Purpose-Filled Life. I walk for
Unsung Heroes. 1945 to 2025. We made it together." 

Lola's legacy

For many, graduation is about reaching a finish line. Ylaysha, however, believes her graduation is a turning point.

She walks forward with a Harvard degree, but also with a mission to remember, honor, and heal.

Her moment on stage allowed for a statement about Filipino heritage, and a reminder that some stories may be forgotten without those who chose to remember.

And that, perhaps, is the most meaningful kind of commencement: not just the beginning of a new chapter, but a reminder of one's legacy and their stories that the next generations can carry into the future. — VDV, GMA Integrated News